Texting while driving 'can be a real pain in the butt'

A driver in the US, who was impaled on a guardrail as she was texting while driving, has appealed to other drivers to pay heed.

Mrs Christina Jahnz said she was driving in a school car park in Elizabeth, Colorado, when she glanced down at her phone to check a message.

When she looked up again, her car was crashing into a guardrail, and she said she was not going more than 20mph.

The blurry picture is hard to look at, but the mother of two is up and walking today despite considerable pain.

Jahnz said the outcome could have been much worse as the pole pierced her thigh and buttocks, pinning her to the back seat.

"I could feel it in there," Jahnz said. "The pipe was, I think they said almost four inches in diameter."

Now, days later, Jahnz's family is grateful she is alive and hopes her terrifying ordeal serves as a warning to others.

Road Safety Officer for Mayo County Council, Noel Gibbons, said: "We are asking drivers to keep focused on their driving , a car going 60mph will travel 88ft in one second.

"The new rules, which came into effect on May 1, mean anyone caught texting or 'accessing information' on their phones will face a mandatory court appearance and a fine of up to €1,000 for a first offence.

"This will rise to a maximum of €2,000 for a second offence, and a possible three-month jail sentence, along with a €2,000 fine, for three offences or more within a 12-month period."